Ed Davis Feature: A Blessing
11/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Kellie Van Maele, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Walking through the halls of Southeastern High School in Detroit, Ed Davis understood that in order to make it out, he was going to have to rise above his peers. Gang activity, skipping class and plenty of other distractions taunted Davis, but he had his mind somewhere else: the football field.
Day in and day out, Davis suited up for the Jungaleers and left his frustrations on the field. He needed to stay focused; he needed to get good grades and he needed to get his diploma â€" the piece of paper that many of his peers would never hold.
"It was really rough," Davis said of high school. "I don't come from too good of a neighborhood, so I always had to keep my head on straight. My school was full of gang activity and people always asked me to join them, but I was into football. That was my thing. It was hard, though. It was hard paying attention in class when everyone was fooling around."
Football had always been an outlet for the senior linebacker, but he did not take the sport seriously until he met his high school coaches. Yes, Davis had talent, but he needed confidence and support, which he got from his coaches Donshell English and Anthony Elliott. Building off of what Davis started at 11-years-old, he worked with his coaches to improve his skills, build his confidence and prepare to play at the collegiate level.
Davis led the Jungaleers recording 56 tackles during his senior season, the same season where he caught the attention of the coaching staff in East Lansing.
"I got called down to the office one day in high school, and I honestly thought I was in trouble," Davis laughed. "But I walked in and they said, ‘we've got some mail for you.' It was a big ol' box full of letters from a bunch of different schools. They wanted me to attend football camps. That's when I knew I could play."
Reality set in, letter by letter, as Davis read off offers from Iowa, Syracuse, Michigan and several other smaller schools throughout the Midwest. One letter that stood out, however, was the letter to attend a camp at Michigan State. Not long after opening it up, Davis made the hour-and-a-half trip northwest to East Lansing.
After finishing his workout, Davis recalls meeting Mark Dantonio for the first time. Both quiet, serious guys, making small talk about where Davis wanted to play college football.
"Sitting there, Coach D asked me how many offers I had at the time," Davis said. "I told him six, but he responded with, ‘seven.'"
Although Michigan State may not have been the obvious choice to the high school Davis, he looks back on his decision as a saving grace to his future success. When asked about what he is most thankful for at MSU, Davis credits his entire experience to the unwavering support from Coach Dantonio.
"It means the world to me, and I couldn't think of another coach that I would want to coach me and mold me into the man I am," Davis said. "He's really like an additional father figure to me and I owe him everything. He is one of the main reasons I graduated college. I could have been anywhere; especially when I got hurt my senior year, he could have said, ‘go ahead and live your life,' but he helped me get a sixth year of eligibility. I know he will always have my back."
Being granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA provided Davis the opportunity to get more time on the Spartan gridiron, after missing his freshman and senior seasons with injuries. Through those tumultuous times, Davis felt lost.
Having to sit on the sidelines during his senior season was exceptionally difficult for Davis because that was his class out on the field, those were his brothers and he was supposed to finish out his Spartan career with them.
"During that senior season I kept wondering, ‘why did this have to happen to me?' I really just shut down for a while. I didn't want to talk to anybody and I wanted to be by myself. It probably wasn't the best thing to do, but that's how I felt at the time and it was hard to come back from."
Now over halfway into this season, Davis is certainly back and most importantly to him, his family is there to witness it.
For six seasons now, Davis' family has trekked to Spartan stadium and all over the Midwest to follow the Spartan squad. Their never-ending support "means the world" to Davis, who understands how much joy his football career brings to his family, whether he's on the field or not.
"My parents come to every game no matter what," Davis said. "It's my mom, dad, uncle and then the last ticket is usually a wild card. I have three older sisters, two younger brothers and two younger sisters, so there's always someone to come. I'm giving my family something to cherish, and they've been included in this whole thing. They helped me get here, so they are a big part of this process too."
Davis' entire process, from being recruited by Dantonio up until his last game at Spartan Stadium has been a journey that he sums up very simply: a blessing. Not many people in his life have gotten this kind of opportunity and for that, he is eternally grateful.
"I felt like I was going to be in school forever, but then I found football. I ended up getting through it and now I have a degree in my hand and can walk out of here at the end of the year and get a job â€" a good job â€" and possibly continue to play football. It's a great feeling. For once, I'm at a great spot in my life."
